The field of the invention is camera cranes. Camera cranes are often used in motion picture and television production. The motion picture or television camera is typically mounted on the front end of a crane arm with counterweights at the back end of the crane arm. The crane arm is pivotally supported on a base to allow the crane arm to tilt up and down and pan from side-to-side. The base is typically supported on a camera dolly, wheeled mobile base, or truck.
Telescoping camera cranes have a telescoping arm that can extend and retract, providing far more capability than fixed length crane arms. However, existing telescoping camera cranes generally weigh several hundred kilograms, which exceeds the safe load carrying capacity of small portable camera dollies. Consequently, for filming in confined or less accessible spaces where only a small portable camera dolly can be used, there are few if any options for using a telescoping camera crane.
Of course, existing telescoping camera cranes can be made smaller which also makes them lighter. However, regardless of the size, the camera crane must be able to consistently hold the camera (and various associated payloads such as a remote camera head) in a steady position, even with the arm fully extended. As the camera crane size is reduced, the smaller structural components of the camera crane have reduced capability to resist unintended or undesirable camera movements, due to bending, flexing, twisting, or vibration. Accordingly, engineering challenges remain in designing a lightweight and compact telescoping camera crane.